We share the sadness of the entire community in writing this blog to announce that the EA-Land experiment is being brought to an end. Decisions such as these are never easy and the rationale for closing EA-Land is particularly complex. Regardless, it is hard to see the end of the collective investment of emotion, time and friendship.

This development team over the past year, in partnership with your amazing community contributions, worked to deliver a re-engineered TSO architecture ported to DirectX9, with a stable economy, variable pricing, the beginnings of custom content (bitmaps, chairs and sculptures, skinning), integrated web-services (enabling Facebook apps and user created widgets), and kept pace with new features pushed weekly (cash in, free play, across-world mini games, etc). The team is a very dedicated crew that spent many nights and week-ends making it all work.

We would like to thank the community for trusting us over the last 10 months and enabling this opportunity. A special thank you to the few thousand who have been with the game since the original beta! (A big thank you also to all the users who came back since December).

Thank you for uploading 30,000 pieces of custom content and proving again that development teams should build worlds involving their user communities. We are particularly proud that the top entrepreneurs in this new world are custom content makers. Personally, I have been most motivated by your participation in all stages (from design on the wiki to testing in TC3 and feedback all over). I think that this smart and well-connected community is one you should be proud of.

Thank you for helping us, pushing us and making us more flexible, wiser, and smarter!

The virtual worlds are still in their infancy, I sincerely hope we will have the opportunity to be creative together again.

t is with mixed emotions that today we are announcing the EA-Land experiment will soon draw to a close. Since 2002, EA-Land / TSO has attracted a very special group of players (of which you are one) and we certainly appreciate your participation in the EA-Land community. The lifetime of the game has drawn to an end, and now we will be focusing on new ideas and other innovative concepts in the games arena. We’d like to thank everyone who has taken part in this online community as a unique experience in the virtual world.

Below are some facts about how the site and service will be closed. Please see also a special message from the team that maintained EA-Land, to the community that played it.

Key Facts:

* On August 1, 2008, the game EA-Land / TSO will no longer be in service and EA will focus these resources on future games

* Your subscription billing will end now, so that at least 60 days of your EA-Land experience will be at no cost to you

* You may cancel your account and subscription at any time by contacting customer service or by managing your EA account online. To do this, you must log on to EA-Land / TSO to cancel within the game

* Starting immediately PayPal cash-in will not be available anymore

* EA Customer Support at support.ea.com is available to help answer any questions you might have regarding your account

If you are a paying subscriber as of April 29th 2008, EA would like to offer you one of the following two gifts as a token of our appreciation:

I've just read the blog and feel so sad that in the 2 months of playing, I'd made some good new friends and was really starting to enjoy it, EA Land is actually the first ever game I've subscribed to and now it's about to end in another 3 months.

I am also curious about CC, but also I am now wondering about the TS2 graphics updates? Are those done with; is there a chance of a "Sims 2 Online"? Probably irrelevent, just putting my thoughts, though, because it is so hard to believe that this project is entirely ending.

I am so sad right now I am actually crying over a stupid game. Its more than a game when you have friends that you spend so much time with. I guess I will be installing second life on my pc and giving that a shot I hate second life

You know, I think it's a 100% true they've HAD to have known this for a while.
Taking our money through the ATMs was very wrong if that is true.

I paid a lot of money getting my custom content and sculptures going. It's been fun but I never, ever would have spent that much real money (obviously) if I'd know I only had a couple months left in game.

This is devasting news for all of us, but we still have 3 or 4 months of game play, so lets just have the best time ever so that we have some great memories of a wonderful game.

I have a TON of stuff in various sims inventories, so Im going to start putting it out in my store for $0. I hope they lower the cost of building so that we can all make great houses, and make this a memorable ending.

VERY ANGRY AND IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE GIVEN HOW QUIET THE DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN. THIS SUCKS. NEVER TRUST EA THATS FOR SURE. IM FURIOUS. HOW SNEAKY UNDERHANDED AND DOWNRIGHT NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a TON of stuff in various sims inventories, so Im going to start putting it out in my store for $0. I hope they lower the cost of building so that we can all make great houses, and make this a memorable ending.

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I'm going to have to check out your store today!! Also, I was thinking the same thing, they better lower the cost dramatically to make this the best gaming experience we could have during the last few months of the game!

VERY ANGRY AND IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE GIVEN HOW QUIET THE DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN. THIS SUCKS. NEVER TRUST EA THATS FOR SURE. IM FURIOUS. HOW SNEAKY UNDERHANDED AND DOWNRIGHT NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ok, first of all - learn to turn the caps OFF. or take a frikkin downer and relax.

And to say never trust EA? Do you realize how freaking big the EA corporation is? Your being extremely immature. So many of us have a lot of good memories here - and it's the end of the experience. Nothing lasts forever - the devs worked hard to save the game. Otherwise it would have been gone several months ago. Let's just enjoy the end - take some screenies with your friends and enjoy what's left of the game before it's too late.

I have a TON of stuff in various sims inventories, so Im going to start putting it out in my store for $0. I hope they lower the cost of building so that we can all make great houses, and make this a memorable ending.

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I'm going to have to check out your store today!! Also, I was thinking the same thing, they better lower the cost dramatically to make this the best gaming experience we could have during the last few months of the game!

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I hope they turn the game sandbox for the last few months, soo you could buy all the rares (gnomes, trees etc) so id just for once could have them lol

We have always been told there would be at least a 90-day notice for closing. And they have given us that notice. Exactly HOW is that sneaky and underhanded? I would say being sneaky and underhanded would be giving us a message saying, "ooops, we forgot to give your notice and the game is closing tomorrow". I suspect that the devs did NOT have the final word on this until now. I believe they were busy fighting FOR the game, which is why they haven't been responsive to us.

This is EXTREMELY sad for me becuase this is the only online game I play.

I started playing TSO after I had Gabby. I was so bored when I traded in my career to be a stay at home mom. If you didn't know this....newborns are boring! Add that along with a lot of post partum depression.....TSO really helped me cope!

It sucks that they did it this way, it really does. All the time and energy they put into a game they pretty much knew they were going to pull the plug on. All the players they got to deposit another 9.99 with the hope of Amnesty....

Ya know what? If it was a full-time job and I were paid to do it, I prolly could have pulled this off. They had the techs to do it, but the design was totally fubared. And yes, it would be good PR to refund the money spent on the ATMs. I saw that sucker punch coming a mile away.

Well EA just took this next months payment so I guess I may be around for another month but I am gone after that. Guess we have our answers to Amnisty huh guys? It has been a long fun ride TSO and I would have stuck around as long as the game did as I have since beta wayyy back in Oct 2002. I had a feeling something like this was going to happen and I am sorry for those that put out a lot of real money into the game. I would love to stick around for the last blast but I see no sense in wasting a few more months of money paying for something that wont be around long. Pogo is a lot cheaper so look me up there as Ayla06462 and we can chat about the good ole days. It is still EA so beware lol you will get booted from your game often but like TSO I am hooked. Party Harty while we can.....Good bye beloved Heart shaped Pizza roof, Park like bathroom, Pizza and a lot of good people. I will miss it all

I read that blog today and bout fell out of my chair... im almost in tears i have been playin this game since dec 2002... i had to take a short break but i did return... im very angry that they are doing this they got all our hopes up just in time to slam us with a hammer .... who ever made the decision to do this isnt someone that comesin and plays this game they would find out just how close the players are... im saddened that nothin was done but the cc and ea land being built nothin else that we were told or promised was ever done and thas just not right and its not right to lure back people with amenesty then not do it.
alot of people spent real life money trying to help the game and its just not right what you have done to any of us.. im sorry but if it has ea land logo on it i myself will walk the other direction after this..

THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH THIS GAME WAS YOUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!!!! IF YOU WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR PLAYERS WHEN THE PROBLEMS AROSE AND DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER I REPEAT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPEN!

Cheri, in the OP it stated that they will no longer be taking our money, so the last 60-days of game play will be free. With this is mind, I certainly hope that you stick around for the big send-off!!!

The whole point of a forum is that u can express u feelings at least i didnt swear, I shant bother with any more comments as a) I am clearing offending people and b) it really doesnt matter anymore. Extreme thanks for your sensitivity too, of course any other negative comments are acceptable as long as they are not typed in capital letter! Sorreeeeeeeeeee (not)

Cheri, in the OP it stated that they will no longer be taking our money, so the last 60-days of game play will be free. With this is mind, I certainly hope that you stick around for the big send-off!!!

I have a TON of stuff in various sims inventories, so Im going to start putting it out in my store for $0. I hope they lower the cost of building so that we can all make great houses, and make this a memorable ending.

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I'm going to have to check out your store today!! Also, I was thinking the same thing, they better lower the cost dramatically to make this the best gaming experience we could have during the last few months of the game!

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I hope they turn the game sandbox for the last few months, soo you could buy all the rares (gnomes, trees etc) so id just for once could have them lol

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I agree. I would love to finally have the chance to build to my heart's content and get to interact with people in-game without having to worry about money.

Even though we knew it was a coming it's still a shock...atleast to me it is. This wasn't just a game to me and you guys weren't just players. I got to know so many great people and you guys are like family to me.

TSO ended a long time ago. This is a new game they are closing.. and I think it's ok. If anything like it ever comes along.. it will be better to have a fresh start. If not, then friends will find ways to see each other.

This just makes me wanna cry Ive put 5yrs+into this game and now were shafted. bit mad too lol.....all the Devs hard work for nothing. Im hope maybe Rockstar will start up on the online community now that thiers an open door. because I think its very shoddy of how EA treats its customers and now fellow employees, we need another gameing company to supply our online game needs. Im hopeing that this wont effect the production of Sims 3 to be released in think Feb 9 next yr. I think all homes now should become the same category as the EA store is just so we can have all the fun in the world b4 the grand end of a game that should have had at least a few yrs left in game play again I would like to thank all you Devs for your hard work and efforts. they do deserve the appreciation even though thier head departments thinks ietherwise. Im not mad at the devs but at the head suites of EA, and with exception of sims 2 and upcomeing sims 3 I promise you all I wont touch another EA game related game or website related money grubbing franchise so off I am to cancell pogo.com I just cant see myself backing such a unreliable company anymore. sorry EA you buried yourselves here on this 1 now lie in your own grave.

Many of us are upset. It's expected. Giving us 3 free months...cool. But what about the friends (family to us) and things we have worked so hard to attain during this time? We rolled with the punches (merge, losing items and money,bug issues)and still stuck around. Every since the change over, many of us have done nothing but skilling in order to make money, because costs were so high and our money was taken away during the merge. So, yes, I agree, give us access to pet pulls and everything at $0 cost. Let us have some fun for these last few months. No one is losing anything in the process. At least we can walk away with some sort of satisfaction of having fun.
And if any of you are looking for an alternate game, I play Runescape. It's an online game and you can interact with others. It's similar to Sims. You can skill, make money, build....it's a great game. Look me up, I'm Moira Moon on the server.

At least EA are finally admitting they failed, even though most of us know it's about the only good thing EA are good at.

It was all too little, too late. Trying to change the name, the money, the characters... all ripping the heart out of what made TSO what it was. Devastating what was left of the community and those who cared, many of us tried to make them see sense ... but ultimately, none of us mattered, it was all down to making money, and clearly they weren't making enough of it.

I'm saddened. TSO was my first online game, it's made me some great friends, and a bit of a legend in some ways ... but I have other things to occupy my time, Second Life and World of Warcraft, and many others.

I said I'd stick around till the end ... I just didn't expect it to be this long in all honesty. I guess at least we have plenty of time to plan the shutdown party.

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